Friedensradler–Giro della Pace:Cycling cross borders for peace and hope
By Gerti Gruber – RC Gastein / Birgit Grupp-Fischer – RC München-Lehel / TizianoRosani – RC Meran / GuntherGröss – RC Klagenfurt-Lindwurm
Peace begins where people can build a future What happens when Rotarians from different countries ride bicycles across borders for people they may never meet?
For the fifth time, the “Friedensradler” —the Peace Cyclists —brought together Rotarians and friends from across Europe for a shared mission: Building peace through friendship, solidarity, and humanitarian action.
In 2026, around 50 cyclists traveled more than 500 kilometers from Bavaria across the Austrian Alps to the Adriatic coast in Italy. Along the route, Rotary clubs welcomed us with meetings, sponsorships, and extraordinary hospitality. In total, 51 Rotary clubs supported the initiative this year.
The project is organized by the ICC Austria–Germany–Italy–Malta–San Marino, an Intercountry Committee dedicated to strengthening international friendship and cooperation through Rotary.
But the „Friedensradler“ is about much more than cycling. Every year, the tour supports an international humanitarian project. This year, together, we raised around EUR 25,000 for a project supporting water access, irrigation systems, and sustainable agriculture in villages in the Kafountineregion of southern Senegal. The local partner coordinating the project is the association Diamani Kouta.
The project focuses especially on improving opportunities for women and their families through access to water and sustainable agriculture.
For us, helping people create a dignified future in their own homeland is one of the greatest
peace projects of our time.
When communities have access to water, agriculture, education, and economic opportunity, people are not forced to leave their homes in search of survival. They can stay, raise their children, and build a future with dignity.
With this project, we feel that we are part of this larger peace movement.
During the five-day journey, we crossed borders, languages, and cultures. What started as a
cycling quickly became something much deeper.
We shared mountain climbs, heavy rain, mechanical problems, meals, and long conversations late into the evening. Many participants met for the first time at the start of the tour. Five days later, they felt like old friends.
The „Friedensradler“ is not a race. Nobody wins medals. But there is still a victory: a small victory over poverty and hopelessness, and a small contribution toward making this world a little better.
The real success is seeing how quickly trust, friendship, and solidarity can grow between people from different nations when they work together for a meaningful cause.
And this spirit continues to grow every year.
Over the past five years, the Friedensradler initiative has already raised more than EUR 170,000 for international humanitarian and peace-related projects.
Together, we supported:
- ambulances for Ukraine (2022)
- educational projects in Cuba (2023)
- water infrastructure projects in India (2024)
- a school project in Ethiopia (2025)
- water and agriculture projects in Senegal (2026)
In addition, the initiative helped raise EUR 54,000 for End Polio Now through sponsorships linked to the kilometers cycled during the tour.
What began as a small idea between friends has become an international movement connecting Rotary clubs and people across Europe through friendship, service, and peace building.
Again and again, we experience the same thing: People are willing to help when they feel personally connected to a project and to each other.
That is exactly what happens during the Friedensradler.
Peace is often discussed at political levels. But sometimes peace starts much smaller: with hospitality, with friendship, with solidarity, and sometimes simply with people riding bicycles together across borders.
We believe peace grows through personal connection, shared experiences, and concrete action.
If you would like to follow the Friedensradler journey, support future humanitarian projects, or connect with our international initiative, we invite you to join us.
Follow our journey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ICC.AGIMS
Rotary Izmir Dokuz Eylül
District 2440, Turkey - Past District Governor
Past Rotary Public Image Coordinator
Turkish Rotary Magazine board member
Active member of the WASH and SRoF fellowships
TRF CADRE
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